What is Fracking Doing to Our Water?

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Fracking is a buzz word found all over the the media at the moment. This articles aims to explain what the term means and considers what the potential impact could be to our drinking water.

Fracking is the term given to a process called high-volume hydraulic fracturing. It is a method used to obtain natural gas that is hidden in tiny pockets deep inside the Earth’s crust. Supporters of the fracking industry maintain that it creates jobs and boosts the economy, while critics worry that it is mostly unregulated and that risks of contamination to water are being underestimated. The following short clip explains clearly how the process of fracking works.

Fracking involves drilling a well into the thick rock far below the surface of the Earth. Once the well is complete the drilling continues horizontally, for as long as two miles in some cases. Next, a combination of water, sand and chemicals are pumped into the well. This is done in enormous volumes, with millions of gallons of drinking water and energy being used in the process. This water becomes irreparably contaminated as a result of the fracking procedure. The mixture is pumped into the drilled tunnel at high pressure creating a multitude of tiny cracks in the rock, releasing the gas from it’s pockets.

Courtesy The Telegraph

The precise composition of chemicals used in this mixture are not published, but more than 600 different ones are used by various companies. The most common chemicals found are benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene, known at BTEX. They are associated with many health complaints.

The following breakdown of pollutants linked to fracking are listed below, as published by frackingandhealth.org

Pollutant – MethaneWhat is it? – Natural gas, can leak out of wells into the air and water, has no doorHealth effect – When trapped in a house, can cause explosion & asphyxiation.

Pollutant – Hydrogen SulfideWhat is it? – May be found in natural gas and can leak out during fracking process, has a rotten egg odor at low levels in the airHealth Effect – Low levels= lung irritation – coughing, tears from the eyes, skin irritation, dizziness, headache. High levels= odor goes away, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, and even death.

Comments

The Establishment needs to hear our voices loud and clear. WE DONT WANT FRACKING or any other ‘unnatural’ practiced done to our environment. We have Cold Fusion, We can extract free energy from the universe, we have Hemp (Ford ran his cars on this), Hydro, solar, wind. Any else is antiquated and destructive. We need to heal the planet and our health with NEW and clean energy alternatives. We have this technology already, Let use it!!

As a Professional Sustainability Consultant, I have to explain to people that fracking is not a ‘greener’ choice. Even renewables have a ton of tradeoffs. Solar panels take 8 years of ‘free energy’ to pay back all the environmental destruction of mining for the materials, manufacturing and then distributing the panels. Plus, solar panels and hybrid cars are not in financial reach of the mass population. Everyone needs to REDUCE… drastically…. THEN substitute with alternatives.

Fortunately, reducing use of external energy sources will save a TON of money and help people become healthier!